The complete guide to choosing anti-fatigue mats

Today’s anti-fatigue mats use innovative material and construction to solve a wide range of problems in the workplace and suit a variety of environments, but the vast selection available can make it difficult when choosing anti-fatigue mats. Fortunately, all the Notrax mats we stock have handy icons to tell you everything you need to know about the mat at a glance. Along with this handy guide to help you figure out exactly what it is you need from your anti-fatigue mat, it’s easier than ever to make sure you get the perfect fatigue mat.

How to choose your anti-fatigue mat

To be able to choose the perfect anti-fatigue mat you’ll need a clear idea of what is you need your anti-fatigue to do. Once you know exactly what you want from your anti-fatigue solution, you can narrow down your search by picking the perfect mat for your specific environment.

The purpose of your mat

What is the primary purpose of your anti-fatigue mat? This will be the number one problem you want your mat to solve. Unsurprisingly, the anti-fatigue benefits of the mat are often the most important to many people. If you have employees that spend extended periods standing to do their jobs and have even noticed absences or health concerns due to these positions, then you’ll want a mat with anti-fatigue properties. Alternatively, you may simply want to make the work environment safer with anti-slip or protective properties. These are especially important for more specialised work environments that may be dealing with dangerous liquids or materials. In such areas, you’re at a higher risk of accidents including slipping. For these environments, look out for anti-slip and protective properties such as shatter protection or cold floor protection.

The work environment

To make sure you choose an anti-fatigue mat that is up the job, you’ll need to match it carefully to your environment. A mat made from the wrong materials or not suited to handling your environment can be even more dangerous than having no mat at all. You’ll need to consider whether the work environment regularly handles liquids, oils, grease or chemicals. If not, look out for anti-fatigue mats that are designed for dry areas. If the environment does handle these materials, make sure you choose a mat that is designed for wet environments or specially designed to be resistant to oils, grease and chemicals.

Special requirements

As well as liquids and chemicals, are there any other unique requirements that are very specific to the job your mat will be supporting? You can find a wide variety of anti-fatigue mats that are fire resistant, insulated, isolative or anti-microbial. There are even mats designed specifically for welding, so think carefully about the job role and what special requirements you might need your anti-fatigue to assist with.

Intensity of use

You’ll find a range of mats from light to heavy duty that are designed to handle different usage. Choosing a mat that is designed to handle lighter usage when you have heavy duty demands will cause wear and tear that could damage the mat and make it less suitable for the job. On the other hand, selecting a heavy-duty mat when you don’t need one could cost you more money for no reason. Here’s a brief guide to the three main usage types.

• Light duty anti-fatigue mats – designed for using a few hours a day or less.
• Medium duty mats – perfect for using around 4 to 6 hours a day.
• Heavy duty mats – for handling 2-3 work shifts a day.

Mat sizes

The last thing you’ll need to decide is how much you need and the best format for your workspace. You can choose mats in either linear meter or in a modular format. If you’ll be using your anti-fatigue mats in walkways or along assembly-line layouts, then a linear solution will be most suitable. Similarly, for individual workstations, you can choose a linear meter or roll format. If, however, you have a more customised layout in your work area, then a modular system will let you fit and rearrange your mats to fit the floor space better. Don’t forget to look out for the handy icons displayed with each of our anti-fatigue mats to help you make the right choice. Want to make finding the right mat even easier? We designed our unique anti-fatigue mat finder to help you refine your search and pick the perfect mat even more quickly. Alternatively, call one of our team today and find out more about choosing the right anti-fatigue mat.